Another Milestone to celebrate today:

Today my man and I added another year to our 20+ years together. It is also Anzac Day down here in Oz today too., A day we remember those diggers who were killed fighting for our freedoms. Yet still I a true Blue Aussie in my own country do not have the right to marry. A right newcomers and their families get; just as well we are happy and contented in our lives and marriage is not an issue for us, as we still get the right to love and too be loved, as well live out our lives together in freedom and safety too; and that Julia women can not take that away from us.

The other morning as I was finishing my night shift, one was communication with the morning staff, about this up and coming milestone in my life. All comments were positive, if not bewildering, like.

Well there something for gay rights. I just thought what does me and my man spending 20+ years together, have to do with gay rights?

Another suggesting we go to NZ to marry. My response was, it will mean nothing when we get home, or in America so why bother.

But then someone did say marriage is whatever you want it to be. my reply to that was commitment, and we don't have to marry to have that, and many who are married and have their piece of paper still may not have commitment in their relationship. Thus I see no need to marry, we can walk along a beach together in Hawaii, and make our commitment together and the jobs done. in fact we already have done that on top of mauna Kea.

Anyhow happy anniversary, happy anniversary, happy anniversary to us, for over 20 years together. Looks like it will be till death do us part.

You know it's not a warm sunny day outside this morning; but the afternoon will be nice. At least it not pissing down with rain, as it was bloody wet and cold this time last year; and no one will rain on our parade; suppose thats why neither of us get our knickers in a knot over the issue of gay marriage, as we are already contented and fulfilled.

Well it's time I take my man a coffee, and time he got up; and I think to myself what a wonderful day.

You know I truly feel so blessed in love and in life too; it's as if the sun of good fortune was to shine down on me, and bless my life. To think of the love I would've missed out on if I had of died with so many of my fallen mates back in the 80s and 90s.

JumpMan_Josh saidThat is SO AWESOME, Aussie! Congrats to both of you. This post makes me happy for sure :-)!

If you guys make it to Alabama in the U.S. dinner is on me ;)

Thanks mate, Never been down South yet. With my man having a big b'day coming up we are looking at spending 8 weeks in America to see his family and have a holiday too. Yellowstone is on the list, as well as NY and going down South to Raleigh and So it may well end up being a date for dinner.

willular saidcongrats on the milestone. sucks you can't get legally married though.

You know it's not something we dwell on; and it's a bit like you can't miss what you never had, and we just get on with living our lives. But we are able to love and be loved, and to live together in safety; and we live out in the burbs with lots of families around us. We are the only homosexual couple in our cul de sac and no one bothers us at all, and it's all very friendly. Things could be worse.

But you know, not sure we would get married if we could as I feel marriage is an outdated institution anyhow. But we are blessed to be happy and contented together and marriage is not an issue for us; albeit as a True Blue Aussie, it is a right I should have as it's a right other family members of mine have in this country; even my breeding bisexual brother is married with a wife. But I will just count our blessing, and the fact we have already had many, many years together; and much of them have been beautiful vistas.

Can't but help ponder over the advents of my life, as a homosexual. It all started sensacanly when I was a wee child when it came out, I was being molested, and I stood up for the person molesting me, as I did not see any wrong had been done, as from a young age I could see no wrong with same sex attraction. OMG what they did to that young child way back in the 1960s, living on a farm out in the Aussie bush for steadfastly standing my ground and defending my perpetrator; they made me feel dirty and unlovable, but that was also part of the torture I was forced to endure too, for my defiant stance. So I have been out since I was about six Yo, way back in the 1960s when grown men of that time did not have the balls to do what I did.

But I got over that and life moved on. I was to move to the City as a teen, had my first gay relationship, other than when I was a wee child; but there was so much wrong with my first love that started when I was 5. I went to my first gay pub and club; both hidden away in the 1970s. But i went back to the bush, and back to working the land. Drought was to come about and I was forced off the land and move back to the city for work.

The first job I was to land was in a gay club, and then a gay bathhouse. Oh my what a fucking good time I had, and working for the gay communities was like seeing the whole thing with the lights on.

i was also politically active and was also proactive in helping to bring change about for a community I steadfastly stood by, and was devoted to; finding love was not on my agenda, as I was having so much fun, and was very popular.

But then almost overnight that was to change the Gay Plague Era had started, and everything as I knew it, turned upside down. The clubs emptied almost overnight, as so many went fleeing and back into hiding; or their wives.

I for about four years stood by a community so many had abandoned, to flee to what they seen as safety, or when to sick to go out, or just simply died. Then when so much of the fear was to die down, and people started to go out again; a time many became drunks as they were to scared to touch, so they just sat around looking and drinking.

As for the bathhouse were we in pre AIDS, would see a few thousand pass though our doors in a weekend; this was to drop down to maybe 2 or 3 in a whole day. Then when things started to pick up again, and the media did another front page exposay over another death by AIDS, the numbers would drop again. But things also changed with the availability of blood tests too; to find out if you have been infected with the HIV virus.

But sadly I was to witness many men gay and bi, that when they found out they were in fact HIV+ continue life as normal, recklessly infecting others along the way; all because they did not want to deprive their dick of enjoyment, and the thought of giving another a slow humiliating death was not an issue to them later they would say oh well I was in diale at the time, as if that made everything OK. I even had people go out of their way to infect me with the HIV Virus; but failed.

This was to in the end, lead one to hand back my gay card in protest from the shocking and disturbing way I seen so many act, by carelessly and recklessly endangering lives by giving people a slow and humiliating death, by putting their dick before human life.

So when I knew the time had come to give back my gay card in protest, and move back to the bush, where I was to work as a lumberjack. I did not date and spent a number of years healing from what I had been a witness to. For many of those young men who were carelessly infected and given a slow humiliating death, a gun too the head would of been more humane during those dark years. Where being seen as a homosexual and having something as simple as a cold you were treated as if you were infected with the HIV Virus.

But a time came for me to move back to the city and get on with my life again, and my first night back in the big city I was to meet an American who I am still with 20+ years latter.

My childhood and the Gay Plague Era are all so long ago. My childhood was to serve me to grow up to be strong, and not be a precious homosexual as so many seem to be today; and feel they have a right to attack and abuse anyone who does not support their political point of view. Where my homosexuality is only a part of me; even as a Bona Fide Homosexual. But being a Bona Fide Homosexual only means I am not a bisexual, never had a wife, or breed the hetrosexual way. I also truly blessed in love, and for being so loved for so long.

But nonetheless I look back on my life with pride, for what I have endured, and survived, and for standing my ground for being truthful to myself; no matter what they did too me. But to of gotten to where I am today, it was all worth it.

I truly feel I have had the sun of good fortune shine down on me, and bless my life.

Well guys thanks for the entertainment today. It's been a fun relaxing day, and thank you for your kind words too. It's now time I start to shower and get ready for our night out. Looks like we made it.

Congrats to you on 20 years! Thank you for the story of your journey. Marriage is about the commitment, not the paper. So, good for the two of you.Rhode Island, smallest state in the union, will be legalizing equal marriage next week. Yippee! Been with my man for 15 years --- and a day does not go by where we tell the other we love them.So, when in the States in the NY area give us a holler and we'll all clebrate our good fortune to have found love and commitment as gay couples!

ZOOKPR saidCongrats to you on 20 years! Thank you for the story of your journey. Marriage is about the commitment, not the paper. So, good for the two of you.Rhode Island, smallest state in the union, will be legalizing equal marriage next week. Yippee! Been with my man for 15 years --- and a day does not go by where we tell the other we love them

No, no since I have been out before I was 10, but more importantly never ever been with a women, I have been a Bona Fide Homosexual my whole life; we seem to of been born that way; not to bat for both teams; ever. As it's just not in us to do such a thing as to have sexual relations with a female. You know a Bona Fide Homosexual can even be single his whole life, and he is still a brother.

OMG what a night. Even the sun was up before me this morning. But with that milestone over and done with, it's time for a day of rest, then on with living the rest of our lives together; soon we will be buying rocking chairs for the front porch.